Safed hospital demands rocket protection

The Friends Association of Ziv Hospital in Safed plans to petition the High Court of Justice against the failure of the government to fortify its roof against missiles and rockets.

The Knesset recently decided to spend millions of shekels on strengthening its own roof against the same threat.

While the Health Ministry has a program for protecting hospitals in the north, it does not include Safed’s Ziv hospital, which was hit during the Second Lebanon War. It also doesn't include plans for preparing underground space for hospital services or protected areas for intensive care units or operating theaters.

“This is a scandal, after this hospital treated 800 soldiers - more than Rambam Medical Center and Western Galilee Government Hospital in Nahariya combined - during the war, and is within range of fire,” said Meir Moskovich, chairman of the Friends Association. “The government has abandoned its responsibility for protecting Ziv Hospital.”

The Knesset “worries about its own security in Jerusalem and will spend 6 million shekels to fortify the roof over the plenum, but the medical center that takes in soldiers from the north and Galilee residents has to go without,” he said.

According to Ziv director-general Dr. Oscar Embon: “We went without protection in the last war, and apparently we will have to do so in the next war as well.”

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